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College Essays

If you're applying to Tufts University, you should already have an answer to "Why Tufts?" But answering the "Why Tufts?" essay question as part of your application requires more than acknowledgement that it's a good school.

This guide to the "Why Tufts" essay prompts will guide you through the requirements, expectations, and strategies you need to write an exemplary essay.

Feature Image: HereToHelp /Wikimedia Commons

What's the Purpose of a "Why This School?" Essay?

To craft a good "Why Tufts?" essay, you need to understand the prompt. It's not about listing a school's qualifications or discussing how beautiful the campus is—a good essay will explain not just why the school is good, but why the school is good for you .

This essay is a common one at many schools. Colleges want to know what brings you to them specifically, including what interests you and how you'll contribute to the student body. Though the question of "why" may feel simple, it's a lot more complex than it appears at first glance .

First of all, the college admissions office wants to know what sets their school apart from others. In Tufts' case, that could be their history as a research university , which puts undergrads in closer contact with graduate students and encourages more communication between people in different fields of study. It could also be their emphasis on interdisciplinary studies , or a positive experience you had while touring the campus .

Use the question of "why" as a starting point . Don't stop at, "because I like that I can study engineering and English." Develop that idea further—What does that mean to you? Why does it matter?

The "Why This College?" essay also invites students to think about how they'll fit into the academic environment. Schools want to know that you're a good fit—it's to their benefit to recruit students who are passionate and committed to getting the most out of their college education.

If it wasn't, Tufts wouldn't have an acceptance rate of around 11 percent . They want students who will contribute to the learning environment and bring creativity, innovation, and curiosity to the classroom. Read and understand Tufts' mission statement before writing your essay so you're informed about what these traits mean, and how you can contribute to realizing their vision as a student .

But it's not just about whether you'll fit in—it's also important that Tufts is a good fit for you. That doesn't mean having your major or whatever clubs you might want to join, but also that your goals align with theirs. The interdisciplinary approach isn't right for every student, and others may prefer the more classic separation of undergrads and graduate students. Having a clear idea about your goals as well as theirs will help you excel, and Tufts will appreciate the clarity .

Your "Why Tufts?" essay isn't just good for the school, it's good for you, too. When you think deeply about why you want to attend a particular school, it makes you even more excited to attend, and that passion is precisely what schools want to see.

Thinking in-depth about your college choices also makes you learn more about schools and how they support your goals, which is instrumental for choosing the right school.

As you're thinking about your Tufts essay, you might learn things about the school that may not be a good fit, and it's better to learn that now than six months after you've moved onto campus. Though one or two missed checkboxes in your dream school criteria isn't necessarily a reason to pull your application, having realistic expectations for your college experience will set you up for a more positive time at the school of your choice.

What Is the "Why Tufts?" Essay Really Asking?

"Why Us?" essays may look as if they're asking a simple question—why do you want to attend this school—but there's more to it than that. These essays are also often asking one of two questions: "why us?" or "why you?"

In essence, these essays want you to describe why they're the right school for you, or why you're the right student for them . Paying attention to how the question is framed will give you a better sense of what kind of answer they're looking for, which will help you shape your essay.

Tufts actually has two versions of the "Why Us?" essay, depending on which department you're applying to. Each one asks a different version of the question, with one version emphasizing your role as a student in a community ("Why You?") and what appeals to you about the school ("Why Us?").

To figure out which one you'll be responding to, use Tufts' Majors and Minors page . This tool allows you to select which programs you're interested in and displays the school department beneath.

If You're Applying to the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, or 5-Year Tufts/NEC Combined Degree:

This prompt has a 100 to 150 word limit. The prompt asks:

Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? In short, "Why Tufts?" (100-150 words)

This prompt is a pretty standard "Why X School?" style of essay. Notice that the prompt is asking you to discuss certain aspects of your undergraduate experience. That means the prompt expects you to talk about one or two elements of attending Tufts in detail, not write a laundry list of the things you love about the school.

Put another way: this essay wants you to be specific about why you want to go to Tufts and prove to the admissions committee that it's the right school for you!

If You're Applying to the BFA or 5-Year BFA+BA/BS Combined Degree at the SMFA:

This prompt, also 100 to 150 words, applies to students who are on one of the above listed fine arts tracks. This prompt reads:

Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? Why SMFA at Tufts? (100-150 words)

This question still asks about your application, but pay attention to the focus—it's more interested in why you want to be part of the SMFA program in particular. In answering this question, stay away from blanket statements about the university as a whole, like the robust number of extracurricular programs or Tuft's other undergraduate degree offerings.

Your answer should discuss what draws you to this program, not the school in general. Look through their mission statement, the experiences of other applicants, and preferably visit the campus for a tour to help you better explain why this school draws you in over others .

Because you're applying to the SMFA, you need to know what that is and how it differs from the rest of Tufts University. Why this program specifically? What will the SMFA add to your experience that education at a different school would not?

How to Write your "Why Tufts?" Essay, Step by Step

With only 100 to 150 words to answer these prompts, you'll likely need to go through multiple essay drafts to get your response into prime shape. Not only do you have a low word count, but these are also complex topics. Though planning might feel like more work in the short term, it'll help you write a stronger essay from beginning to end .

Step 1: Brainstorming

Start by reading the question. Not just reading the words that are there, but really striving to understand the question beyond the prompt.

Spend some time writing down different potential angles, then sort through them to find the one that works best for you. Your essay should be clear and specific to Tufts— if you can substitute in the name of another school and have it make sense, your essay isn't specific enough .

During brainstorming, come up with as many ideas as you can. Set a timer for five to ten minutes, and think of lots of different answers to the prompt. Don't worry if they're kind of out there or undeveloped; you can always cut them or expand later !

The General Prompt

For the first prompt, consider how which aspects of going to Tufts make it the best school for you. To do this, it helps to reframe the question like this: "What can Tufts do for me that no other school can?" It's also worth thinking about how you can contribute to the school in ways that are...well, uniquely you!

Maybe you're interested in tackling issues related to climate change, and you want to be part of Tufts's research on water purification because you know clean water will become a scarce resource. Or maybe you want a career in museum curation and education, so Tufts's Museum Education combined degree is perfect for you.

The point is that you need to be specific and clear about how Tufts is the only school that can help you achieve your goals.

Along with researching programs and professors, it's also a good idea to cite specific moments from tours, if you've taken them. If you haven't taken a tour, you could refer to alumni who inspire you, courses you find on the website, or other features unique to Tufts. "Unique" is key—whatever you say, Tufts' curriculum, mission, or other specific features should support it .

For example, you could mention the school's emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Does it matter to you that your education at Tufts will be inclusive of other disciplines rather than focused entirely on your field? Why or why not?

The SMFA Prompt

For the prompt that's SMFA focused, consider the program and what makes you want to be part of it. Why an art degree? Why an art degree at Tufts? Why an art degree at Tufts in the SMFA program, specifically?

These might seem like redundant questions, but considering every angle of "Why SMFA?" will lead to a stronger essay . Look through the course catalog and see what it has to offer—courses like "Creative Futures: Business Essentials for Artists" are unique to this program, and it's worth understanding what they offer that other programs don't. Tying that into your essay along with why you want an art degree proves that you're serious about your discipline and understand what exactly Tufts will add to your education.

Also consider how the SMFA and Tufts University intersect. SMFA is a school within a school, and it's important to understand how it differs from the School of Arts and Sciences.

Again, cite moments from a tour if you can, or be specific about particular artists, artworks, or other features of Tufts that inspire you to attend there. The more you can tie your response specifically to Tufts rather than any other school, the better .

Step 2: Avoid Generalities

When writing, avoid being too general. Again, if you can substitute in the name of another school and have your essay still make sense, you need to make it more specific . The question is, "Why Tufts?" so be sure that you answer that as thoroughly as possible—and stay within your word count, of course.

Some students default to talking about sports or campus appearance to set the stage. Avoid that, if you can. Tufts already knows about their sports teams and how pretty the campus is, and if other people are doing it, you don't want to follow suit. Your essay should be uniquely you !

"Why Tufts?" may be the question, but avoid being too shallow. Think beyond academics and reputation; your essay should consider how Tufts will help you, and how you'll help Tufts .

Step 3: Write Efficiently

The essay is short, so you're really going to have to hone in on one particular feature or event . Be prepared to edit and revise multiple times—have people you trust look over it and give you feedback, and do your best to follow it.

Eliminate extra words; in the first sentence in the previous paragraph, I could easily change "you're really going to have to hone," into "you'll have to hone" and save myself three words. It's a small change, but three words means a lot when you only have 150!

Summarize any experience you want to draw on quickly so you have time to talk about why it matters. Be brief; you want to expand where it matters rather than spending a lot of time on scenic details ("The sun was rising as I first arrived in Medford, my hands trembling from nervousness and too much coffee on an empty stomach," is great detail, but if it's not telling the school "Why Tufts?" then it has to go!).

In short, every word should be pulling weight in your argument rather than taking up space .

"Why Tufts?" Essay Writing Checklist

As you progress through each draft, run through this checklist to be sure you're on target.

Are You Being Specific?

Can you rewrite the essay with the name of another college? If you can, be more specific.

Have You Mentioned Real-Life Experiences?

Tying your essay to a specific, real-life experience (such as a tour of the college) or a person (a representative of Tufts that you've spoken with, someone who's graduated, or similar) gives it more specificity. Concrete detail will make your essay feel more solid.

Have You Answered What Makes the School Special?

Think beyond academics, sports, or prestige. What makes Tufts the right school for you above all others? Why not Columbia , UC Berkeley , or the University of Minnesota ? You don't have to answer "why not?" in your essay, but you should know the answer when you're writing.

Have You Connected What Makes the School Special to Your Interests?

Readers should be able to draw a clear line from the answer to "Why Tufts?" to you as a student. Okay, so you met an adviser who not only got your love of botany, but who understood exactly how a love for grass-type Pokemon led you to pursue gardening and eventually botany. What does this mean to you, and how does it contribute to your desire to attend Tufts?

Have You Demonstrated an Understanding of School Culture?

Tufts is quite clear about their campus culture—intellectual curiosity, research, and interdisciplinary learning are all core parts of their mission. If you can demonstrate this in your essay, you'll be set to impress!

What Does a Great "Why Tufts?" Essay Look Like?

One of the best ways to understand what Tufts is looking for in responses to their "Why Tufts?" prompts is to see what people who have gotten in have written. Thankfully, Tufts makes this easy, putting several essays that worked online for you to read . Keep in mind that the prompts for these essays may have been phrased slightly differently, but at their heart, they're all "Why Tufts" essays...which means good essays in this category all share the same characteristics!

Here's an example of a successful "Why Tufts?" essay:

As a girl interested in computer science it's common when visiting university websites to utter "you go, girl" to the lone female faculty member smiling proudly amidst a male-dominated CS department. However, Tufts is a unique community that not only encourages minorities in STEM, but actively recruits female faculty like the spunky and inspirational activist/engineer/professor/entrepreneur Dr. Laney Strange, who I met at Girls Who Code. With my passions ranging from multimedia art to Latin American culture to CS, Tufts excites me since it's where diverse interests are celebrated and where I can have stimulating conversations with anyone I meet on campus.

Let's go through this essay using our checklist to understand exactly why it worked.

Notice how this essay uses specific faculty (and a specific experience with that faculty member) to discuss what appeals to the writer about Tufts. Substituting the name of another school in for Tufts wouldn't work, because this essay goes out of its way to be clear that this is something Tufts offers that other colleges don't.

Participating in Girls Who Code not only demonstrates the writer's interest in computer science, but also gives her a connection to the school beyond its reputation. That tie to Tufts gives her some additional insight into campus culture.

This writer frames her essay around empowering women in computer sciences, but, more importantly, how Tufts excels in a way that many schools do not.

As a female computer sciences student, prominent female faculty in the CS department is clearly important to the writer—something that comes through because of how neatly she ties her field to her specific experience and again to Tufts.

The writer not only cites female faculty in the CS department, but also the school's interdisciplinary education. She clearly has a familiarity with Tufts educational goals, making this essay an excellent example of not just, "Why Tufts?" but also "Why You?"

As you can see, this writer ticked all the checkboxes for a great "Why Tufts?" essay ...which is the goal!

Let's take a look at an SMFA-specific essay that worked. Another writer answered the "Why SMFA?" prompt like this:

As an artist, I believe that one's work should reflect the world beyond it. Thus, I'm most attracted to Tufts SMFA's combination of rigorous artistic study with a challenging liberal arts curriculum at the School of Arts and Sciences. I want to inform my art-making with in-depth exploration of sociology, justice, and international relations, creating works that comment on global issues--a prospect uniquely possible at Tufts SMFA. With numerous opportunities for combining art and community work on campus and in Boston, the SMFA program shows art isn't only meant for the classroom; it's meant for the world.

This student shows familiarity with the specifics of SMFA, the kind of works the organization produces and showcases, and also how the program is also part of the larger Massachusetts community. While many schools have great art programs, the specificity here ties it uniquely to Tufts.

The previous essay mentioned faculty the student had met with, which isn't always possible. This student may not have had the opportunity to tour campus or meet with representatives, but they still go out of their way to situation Tufts within a place—the wider area of Massachusetts. The more specific you can get, especially mentioning a community, as this writer did, the better.

The last line is particularly good, as it starts out quite specific and balloons out to a wider statement about art's place in the world. The mentions of SFMA's "rigorous artistic study" in conjunction with the "challenging liberal arts curriculum" show that the student has a good understanding of what this program entails, and how it will help them reach their goals.

This essay doesn't mention a particular field, but it does begin with a statement—"I believe that one's work should reflect the world beyond it"—and then goes on to demonstrate how that's true of Tufts. This short essay reads a bit like a condensed five-paragraph essay: thesis, supporting details, and conclusion that tie the whole theme together.

References to SFMA and the School of Arts and Sciences curricula show that the student knows the difference between the two and how they feed into one another. They've clearly done their homework, and it shows in a polished, well thought-out essay that got them into Tufts!

Once again, this writer hit all the important parts of the "Why Tufts?" essay, which ultimately showed admissions counselors that Tufts is the perfect school for them.

What's Next?

The "Why Tufts?" essay is just one of the essays you'll be writing for your application. It pays to understand them ahead of time, so check out this handy guide to the Tufts supplement !

If you need help writing essays for other colleges, this compilation of tips and tricks will help get your writing on track.

Tufts University uses the Common Application, so you'll also be writing essays in response to those prompts as well. This guide will help walk you through the Common Application prompts as well as best practices for answering them!

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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How to Write Tufts University Essays 2019-2020

Set in idyllic Medford, MA, Tufts University was founded in 1852. As a research university, Tufts boasts both graduate and undergraduate schools ⁠— ranging from the School of Arts and Sciences to the School of Medicine. Known for its strong programs in international relations and medicine, Tufts primarily draws students for its academics. However, the Jumbos field over 25 Division III athletic teams with 15 national championships won since 2010 ⁠— making it no slouch when it comes to athletics. 

Tufts University is ranked #27 by U.S. News and World Report with an acceptance rate of 14.6% for the Class of 2023. Tufts allegedly practices yield protection, meaning that the school rejects or waitlists “overqualified” students they believe won’t ultimately enroll. Yield is the percentage of accepted students who matriculate, and higher yield is associated with greater prestige and desirability. Yield protection is actually also known as “ Tufts Syndrome ,” since the school is frequently accused of using this practice. 

To avoid falling victim to yield protection, you’ll want to demonstrate your genuine interest in Tufts. One of the best ways to do that is through your essays. The college applications process may seem overwhelming, but don’t worry ⁠— Collegevine is here to help you tackle Tufts’ 2019-2020 application! Want to know your chances at Tufts? Calculate your chances for free right now.

Want to learn what Tufts University will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering Tufts University needs to know.

Tufts University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Applicants to the school of arts and sciences, and the school of engineering:, prompt 1: which aspects of the tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application in short, ‘why tufts’ (150 words).

Prompt 2: Choose one of the following options and respond in 250 words:

2A. From recognizing break dancing as a new Olympic sport, to representation in media, to issues of accessibility in our public transit systems, what is something that you can talk about endlessly? What do you care about and why?

2B. Whether you’ve built circuit boards or written slam poetry, created a community event or designed mixed media installations, tell us: What have you designed, invented, engineered, or produced? Or what do you hope to?

2C. We all have a story to tell. And with over 5,000 undergraduate students on our campus, that is over 5,000 stories to share and learn. What’s yours?

Applicants to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts ( BFA or 5-Year BFA+BA/BS Combined Degree)

Prompt 1: Which aspects of the Tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application? Why SMFA at Tufts? (150 words)

Prompt 2: Art has the power to disrupt our preconceptions, shape public discourse, and imagine new ways of being in the world. Whether you think of Ai Weiwei’s work reframing the refugee crisis, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald’s portraits of the Obamas reimagining portrait painting on a national scale, or Yayoi Kusama’s fanciful Infinity Mirrors rekindling our sense of wonder, it is clear that contemporary art is driven by ideas. What are the ideas you’d like to explore in your work? (250 words)

Applicants to the school of arts and sciences and the school of engineering.

If you are applying to the School of Arts and Sciences or Engineering, you can’t skip out on this question. First, take a step back and think about why you added Tufts to your school list. Simply seeking out a prestigious university isn’t sufficient. Reflect on your life and interests to tie it back into Tufts’ values and traditions. Maybe you’re a passionate environmentalist who is drawn to Tufts’ Food Systems and Nutrition minor, as you want to learn more about ways to increase sustainability in the food industry. Or, maybe the 1+4 Bridge Year caught your eye, as you want to live and intern abroad in Mexico before beginning your studies at Tufts, to better understand the border crisis and explore your interest in immigration law. Or, perhaps the Traveling Treasure Trunk theatre group caught your eye, as you love putting on imaginative plays for children.

With only 150 words, you won’t have a ton of space to list everything you love about Tufts. Be sure to pick just 2-3 relatively unique factors, and avoid generalities such as a “great location near Boston” or “strong math major.” You want to make it clear that you genuinely want to attend Tufts by doing your research. 

Finally, remember that attending college is not only about academics, but also what you do outside the classroom. So, sure to mention at least one extracurricular/social factor that drew you to Tufts, along with at least one academic aspect.

Choose from one of the three following options for Prompt 2

Prompt 2a: from recognizing break dancing as a new olympic sport, to representation in media, to issues of accessibility in our public transit systems, what is something that you can talk about endlessly what do you care about and why (250 words).

You have a lot of freedom with this prompt, so feel free to show some personality. The key to writing a strong response is picking a specific topic; take note of the examples given, and aim for that level of precision. A common pitfall will likely be discussing something too general, such as a sport. You can start by brainstorming wider topics, but then try to refine them and put spins on them that show more about who you are. Take the example of “running.” That in itself is much too broad, as many students could pick this topic and discuss how it’s a democratic sport that doesn’t require fancy equipment, or how it brings people together. Instead, look at this topic from a personal angle. Maybe you faced several running injuries but persisted to finally run your first marathon. A stronger example of a topic would be: “how running isn’t actually innately bad for your body, contrary to popular belief.” You could then discuss your personal experiences, how important it is to use proper form and build adequate strength, and how you want more people to experience running, as it’s been empowering for you .

Prompt 2B: Whether you’ve built circuit boards or written slam poetry, created a community event or designed mixed media installations, tell us: What have you designed, invented, engineered, or produced? Or what do you hope to? (250 words)

This prompt is perfect for creative students, but is also open to those who have a creative vision that isn’t yet realized–note the final part of the prompt, which asks what you hope to create. Writing about what you hope to create is also valuable, as it gives admissions officers further insight into your goals and how you might use a Tufts education.

If you have created something, here’s a way to outline your essay: 

1. Briefly tell us the story behind your creation. What inspired you? How did you build the skills to create what you did?

2. Walk us through the process of creation. How long did it take? Was it grueling? Did you work with other people?

3. Show us the impact of your creation. Did your writing resonate with others? Did the community event raise lots of money for charity? Did the computer you build run super quickly and make for a better gaming experience?

For those who hope to create, you can follow a similar outline, but in a more hypothetical sense. Tell us what inspired your desire to create, what you envision the creation process to be like, and what you hope the results to be.

Prompt 2C: We all have a story to tell. And with over 5,000 undergraduate students on our campus, that is over 5,000 stories to share and learn. What’s yours?  (250 words)

This is the most open-ended prompt of the three, and resembles the Common App prompts. To get started, you should reflect on the experiences in your life that made the person you are today. It could be growing up in a border town, which allowed you to meet people from all walks of life and become more open-minded. Maybe you’re an expert Rubik’s cube solver, but it took you months to finally master the skill. Or, perhaps you have a massive stamp collection, with help from people around the world.  

Whatever your story, be sure that it complements the rest of your application. If you already discussed your love of tennis in another essay, pick another topic for this prompt. If there’s an aspect of who you are that isn’t represented yet in your application, this is a great space to discuss it. 

Prompt 1: Which aspects of the Tufts curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application? Why SMFA at Tufts? (150 words)

The first question is very similar to the “Why Tufts?” essay. However, this one asks you to tie your experiences back into why you want to enroll in SMFA. 

Your goal here is to make admissions officers clearly see you maintaining a presence in their SMFA program. If you don’t like being bound to the restrictions of having to be shuffled into a major, write about how the SMFA program’s freedom of delving into a specific medium or exploring a variety of options caters to your goals. Let’s say that you are interested in both the arts and doing research in a STEM field. Instead of having to choose between one or the other, at Tufts, you can take the shuttle to SMFA in the morning and research the impact of certain elements on human cells in the evening. 

Tufts is one of two schools in the nation that is affiliated with a museum. If you want to gain more insight into art history and see paintings for yourself, SMFA will allow you to do so. SMFA’s Morse Study Room even gives SMFA students access to papers that are not available to visitors. Therefore, those who wish to seek more than what is offered in the classroom and explore ranges of art will be well-suited to the program.

If there was a specific instance where you realized that you didn’t necessarily “fit in the box,” this prompt would be a good one to address that. But if you want to knock this question out of the park, ask yourself what you can contribute to the program. Tufts looks for students who want to add to the intellectual vigor of its campus. If you can convey the kind of person you will be on campus, Tufts will be able to visualize the impact you will make more clearly.  

As an artist, you have most likely developed some kind of theme or style that is recurring. Look back through your past works. Is there a pattern that seems to repeat itself? If so, write about that pattern and why it comes across your work so much. Did you grow up in New York City? Maybe your art reflects the bustle and diversity of the countless people you see every day. Or perhaps your art could signify the tranquility you seek away from the honking cars and glistening lights. If your work does not have a common theme, or if you are gravitating towards a different theme in your work, explain why this is. Tie your work back to Tufts and explain how a Tufts education will break the current limits you face as an artist. 

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write the Tufts Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2023/2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are the Tufts University supplemental essay prompts?
• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Tufts University
• Prompt #2: "Why us?" essay

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re familiar with the three-ring circus that is college admissions, and these Tufts supplements may feel like yet another hoop to jump through. You may not be familiar with the fact that ringmaster P.T. Barnum was an early founding trustee and benefactor of Tufts, or that the college’s mascot, Jumbo the Elephant, was his circus’ biggest draw in the late 19th-century.

Yup, The Greatest Showman co-founded Tufts.   We considered the circus life, but we’re better at taming college essays than lions.

Thankfully, you only need to respond to two short Tufts supplemental prompts, which you can complete by either a) pulling content from essays you’ve already written and customizing it for Tufts, or b) re-using what you write for your Tufts supplementals in other supplemental essays. 

Want to get a better sense of what Tufts is looking for? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at Tufts’ offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, in its Common Data Set . For deep insights into how this private research university envisions its role and how it wants to grow and evolve, read over its Strategic Plan .

What are the Tufts supplemental essay prompts?

Think outside the box as you answer the following questions. Take a risk and go somewhere unexpected. Be serious if the moment calls for it, but feel comfortable being playful if that suits you, too. Pick one of the following (200-250 words): It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity? How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today? Using a specific example or two, tell us about a way that you contributed to building a collaborative and/or inclusive community.

Please complete the following statement: "I am applying to Tufts because..." (50-100 words)

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Tufts University

How to write the tufts supplemental essay #1.

Think outside the box as you answer the following questions. Take a risk and go somewhere unexpected. Be serious if the moment calls for it, but feel comfortable being playful if that suits you, too. Pick one of the following (200-250 words):

• It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity?
• How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?

Using a specific example or two, tell us about a way that you contributed to building a collaborative and/or inclusive community.

Our favorite of these is the second one. Why? As we mentioned in the intro, if you’ve written (or are writing) other essays for other schools that express important parts of who you are, you can probably re-use that essay for this prompt. Here’s a guide on how to re-use essays (and maybe save yourself 20+ hrs on this process). 

Whichever questions you choose to answer, keep in mind that Tufts Assistant Director of Admissions Paz Pitarque advises that “admission counselors can see when you have dedicated a lot of your time to your supplement. It also helps us see what kind of community member you will be and just how excited you are about Tufts!”

Below are some well-crafted essay examples for this prompt.

It’s cool to love learning. What excites your intellectual curiosity? (200-250 words)

Diseases intrigue me more than anything. My interest started in sixth grade when I learned about a small Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Every day I would go straight home from school and Google news articles about the outbreak. Ebola both terrified and fascinated me. My sixth-grade self worried the outbreak would consume the entire region and never stop spreading. I was fascinated by how such a small virus could cause such irreparable damage. The methods Doctors Without Borders and the WHO employed to try and contain the virus also caught my attention. I took note of what worked and what didn’t. I was also very surprised by the lackluster global response to the outbreak. My interest in Ebola led me to learn about other diseases. After studying Zika, MERS, Nipah, and hemorrhagic diseases such as Lassa Fever, I have realized that the world is grossly underprepared for the next pandemic. Other global issues such as climate change will only exacerbate disease outbreaks. For example, rising temperatures will allow mosquitoes to have a greater range and cutting down forests will expose us to zoonotic diseases. Even the richest nations do not invest enough in disease surveillance and many nations do not have the infrastructure to deal with a large-scale outbreak. Whether I am petitioning world governments or researching new vaccines, I want to help prepare the world for the next pandemic. That's why my dream job is to study and raise awareness about diseases as an epidemiologist.  — — —

Tips + Analysis

Share the origin story of your interest. This student takes us all the way back to the sixth grade to show where the curiosity began. Then we get vivid details that paint an image in our mind of the student Googling about this interest for the first time. Like this essay demonstrates, your goal is to SHOW us the journey of how and why you developed your intellectual curiosity. How old were you when your curiosity began? Where were you? What actions did you take that visually demonstrate that the thing making you curious had you hooked? Try to answer these questions to create a vivid origin story. 

Connect your interest to something bigger. Curiosity tends to build by going from one thing to another, right? Next, you’ll want to show what problems or issues prompted you to explore further. This student delivers on this need by talking about how an interest in Ebola led to an exploration of how climate change influences disease outbreaks. This makes it easy for the reader to imagine how this student might draw connections from different academic disciplines while on campus. And that’s exactly the kind of thinking admission officers want to see in the incoming freshman class. 

Bring it back to your goals at the end. Remember that every essay you write needs to answer the question, “So what?” For this prompt, the best way to do that is to connect your intellectual curiosity to one or more of your academic, personal, or professional goals. This student does exactly that by connecting her interest in diseases to her dream of becoming an epidemiologist who helps prepare the world for the next pandemic. So, in the end, we don’t just learn about a random curiosity, we learn about her aspirations for the future. 

Example:  

How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today? (200-250 words)

The last sliver of the sun disappears over a perfect wave as I ride toward shore. My beautiful home should have made me an idealist, but no…  I’m a pessimist.  I was raised on science, not faith, and pessimism is a possible side effect.  I brush my teeth, climb into bed, and think about our future rising sea levels and supervolcano eruptions. I can’t ignore the fish migrations caused by climate change that will ultimately doom my home and, eventually, our world. But, though I know the world is doomed, I love this world, and I’d do anything to prevent it from utter destruction.  I joined forces with my sworn enemies, the optimists, with Heal the Bay’s Pier Aquarium and MPA watch, spreading messages of environmental protection while teaching the community about ocean creatures and monitoring wrongdoing at local beaches.  I intensified my battle by interning with UCLA’s LCC Civil and Environmental engineering lab, which designs sustainable building materials. My project focused on the dissolution kinetics of calcite with organic ligands at high pH to simulate cementitious environments, and my results have applications for sequestering CO2. Knowing the future doesn’t make me want to give up, instead it makes me want to test the limits of what I can accomplish. Unlike my optimistic counterparts, I have accepted what’s coming, so I’ll be ready, at least more ready than anyone else, to stop the unstoppable.  And if I fail, what does it matter? That asteroid was totally coming anyway! — — —

Give a glimpse into your world. Using the 21 Details exercise , this particular student took a few carefully chosen details about his life and centered them around an unexpected reveal: “I’m a pessimist.” Wielding dark humor, the author lightens his subject matter with references to his “sworn enemies, the optimists,” and thoughts about supervolcano eruptions at bedtime. If humor isn’t your strong suit (we can’t all be funny), pick an interesting detail and tell the story around it in a way that spotlights a different part of the portrait you present of yourself in the personal statement. On an application packed to the brim with serious experiences and accomplishments, this essay can be a breath of fresh air. 

Show a side of yourself that’s not already apparent in your application. Since pessimism is generally not considered to be a positive trait, we’re willing to bet this student didn’t mention it anywhere else. By taking that calculated risk and explaining how his world view connects with why he fights for the world he loves so much, however, he reveals a vulnerability that will make him a valuable peer at Tufts beyond his academic acumen and work ethic. Is your application full of focused long-term research? Share something spontaneous and creative. Is there another important value that’s not coming through elsewhere in your activities list or personal statement? Make sure it’s coming through in a supplemental essay. In short, what else could you show? 

End with a clear “so what?” After showing he values humor, this author makes sure the reader leaves with a takeaway: “I have accepted what’s coming, so I’ll be ready, at least more ready than anyone else, to stop the unstoppable.” These supplementals are short, but don’t be afraid to show first, then tell the reader what’s important to understanding you and why.

You can treat this as a “Community” prompt focusing specifically on collaboration/inclusivity.

Here’s a step-by-step guide that offers a short exercise to help you think through which communities you are a part of that might make a good topic for this essay.

Here’s the short version:

Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing as many of your communities as you can think of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined in a variety of ways, including place, culture, interests, political beliefs, hobbies, and even favorite sports team. Get creative.

Step 2: Use the BEABIES exercise to generate your essay content for 2-3 of these communities. Simply ask yourself and jot down notes to these questions:

What kinds of problems did you solve or work to solve (personally, locally, or globally) in that community?

What specific impact did you have?

What did you learn (skills, qualities, values)? 

How did you apply the lessons you learned inside and outside of that community?

Step 3: Pick a structure for writing this essay and focus on the community that you feel is most compelling and reveals the most about you, and possibly connect those experiences to how you will impact the college’s community (for more on how to do this, check our “Why this College” guide . 

This prompt is new for Tufts, so we don’t have an example essay written for it just yet. But here’s a nice example essay written for a similar prompt from Colgate University:

Aside from my inherent love for bagels, my Jewish background has led me to become more embedded in my community, joining Jewish activists and building a website on Holocaust education. In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—with my Bar Mitzvah—as well as with an educational lens—teaching others about the Holocaust and about specific stories of survivors. Feeling disconnected from Jewish activism, I decided to become an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity last year. Each week, we met to discuss present-day instances of oppression and discrimination across the world, and finished the year by building a website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.  Being on the board connected me to a network of other passionate Jewish activists, and helped me to channel the pride for my culture and ancestors into visual media that reaches many viewers. At Colgate, I hope to find myself surrounded not only by like-minded Jewish students, but by a diverse group of people with whom I can learn and make connections. (196 words) — — —

Highlight a core identity. In the example essay, the applicant highlights their Jewish heritage and the profound impact it has had on their life choices and commitments. This is a great way to approach this prompt—think of communities/identities that you claim, pick one that the college isn’t seeing elsewhere, and show how that aspect of you + your experiences will allow you to contribute to the school’s community. Ensure you shed light on the aspects of your background that have shaped your identity. This could be cultural, familial, or personal attributes that have molded you into the individual you are today.

Provide concrete examples of impact. Just as the sample essay vividly narrates the applicant's journey in Jewish activism, so you’ll want to offer specific instances that exemplify the impact your background has had on your decisions and pursuits. Whether through personal experiences, engagements, or projects, share specific moments where your background has led you to initiate meaningful actions. In short, show us .

Connect to the college's community.  While not required, you have the option of adding some detail at the end of your essay regarding how you want to continue contributing to these kinds of communities. How can you do that? Address how your background, values, and commitments align with the school’s vision and how you intend to extend these connections on campus to foster learning and shared growth. For example, perhaps you plan on joining (or creating?) relevant student clubs, volunteering at a local museum, or finding innovative ways to connect with students who share a similar background.

And here’s another example, written for Yale, that word work well for this Tufts prompt:

“Well, they seem like normal people, I guess.” Putting down his phone, my dad conceded.  How much this moment means to me is difficult to describe.  As a volunteer at the Beijing LGBT Center, I’d shot and edited a video entitled “I Don’t Want to Work in the Closet”, exposing the discrimination queer Chinese employees face in workplaces. Aiming to raise funds for the center and create reverberation among employers, I scrutinized every detail in my video, from the subtitle fonts to the background music. Reorganizing the clips, I created an emotional arc providing a call for action. The video was eventually published on Chinese social media. As the number of views rose and supportive comments emerged, I was proud to have made an impact.  But I didn’t feel the weight of my contribution until I showed the video to my dad, who, despite his love for me, was unaware of my queer identity, largely disdained my work at the center and (as far as I know) the entire LGBT population.  Now, my dad’s comment let me know the video had altered his perception, even if just slightly. Using my directing and video-editing skills, I was able to help humanize the Chinese queer population. My dad is far from being supportive of the LGBT movement, as are many other Chinese people, but fostering a willingness to accept differences was already a significant step.  I produce videos to magnify the underrepresented voice of my LGBTQ community because, to me, diversity matters.  — — —

How to Write the Tufts Supplemental Essay #2

This is a super short “Why us?” essay.  

Because it’s so short, the key will be finding 2-3 reasons that set Tufts apart from all the other schools you’re applying to.

Here’s the “Why us?” essay guide —in this case, check out the Cornell example to understand the effect you want your short “Why us?” to have without all the length. We do talk a bit about possible approaches for tackling the shorter version of this essay, and there’s a nice older Tufts example as well. 

Even though it’s short, this essay should focus on unique reasons that you and Tufts connect. 

Try to avoid these common mistakes:  

Mistake #1: Writing about the school's size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking.

Mistake #2: Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit.

Mistake #3: Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors or names of any important people or places on campus.

Mistake #4: Parroting the brochures or website language.

Mistake #5: Describing traditions the school is well-known for.

Mistake #6: Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.

Below is a great recent Why Tufts essay, though it was written for when the max word count was 150, so yours will need to be shorter. 

My interest in Tufts began with bubbles. On a campus tour, our guide talked about blowing bubbles with her roommate at 1am and watching them freeze. The tour was actually five years ago when I accompanied my sister on a campus visit. This story highlights what excites me about going to Tufts: the students share an intellectual curiosity that carries beyond the classroom into the friendships and memories they create. After imagining myself at Tufts for five years, I can clearly see myself there. I will use my own intellectual curiosity to research infectious diseases in Dr. Aldridge’s lab, learn about nuclear nonproliferation in Nuclear Weapons and International Politics, and teach Climate Action workshops on the climate change-social justice intersection. Although my interests are diverse, I know Tufts will not only support my freedom to explore, but encourage it. (139 words) — — —

Paint a vivid picture. Bubbles freezing in midair is a memorable image, and memorable is exactly what you want. Bonus points that the story came from a campus visit five years prior, which shows the author’s demonstrated interest over time. If you choose to reference a college visit or tour, take the extra time to research the name of the admissions rep or guide you met and make a clear and specific explanation, or “so what?” as to why that information is relevant to your desire to attend. And heads-up: You totally do not have to visit campus in order to write a great “Why us?” essay, as you’ll see from the example below. If you can’t visit campus, you can search for virtual campus tours, webinars with admissions officers, or simply Google “a day in the life of a Tufts student” to find great short video clips and interviews that will help you visualize yourself there and provide great potential “Why us?” references. 

Name one clear value. Even though this is an undergraduate prompt, intellectual curiosity happens to be #1 on the list of values for Tufts’ School of Medicine. This is no coincidence given her expressed research goals, and with such a small word limit, this student cleverly chose to ground her short essay in a value that’s shared by both Tufts and herself. Make sure to keep your whole list of core values handy as you peruse Tufts’ strategic plan, mission, and values statements to see what lines up for you.

Connect specific wants to specific resources. Despite the length, the author manages to name her desires to contribute to Dr. Aldridge’s infectious disease lab, learn about nonproliferation in a class on nuclear weapons, and teach extracurricular climate activism workshops. Use your internet research superpowers to find the most specific resources possible, and make sure they overlap with interests you’ve described elsewhere in your application.

Here’s another 150 word example essay (that’s not about visiting the campus) that also works well:

At Tufts, I will major in Environmental Studies, choose the track of Environmental Policy and research under Professor Ninian R.Stein to find out effective ways to use community resources for sustainable development. Afterward, I will participate in the Tufts Civic Semester under Tisch College at Urubamba, Peru to learn about how NGOs address sustainable development and community health issues. Back at  Tufts, I will apply my classroom and study abroad knowledge to my Yuanyang project (see additional info), become a Tisch International Project Summer Fellow, and minor in Entrepreneurship to upscale the project into a mature social enterprise that can address the sustainable development issues at the villages. After all, Tufts is also the place I can have fun! With its close-knit community, Quidditch games and novel experimental college courses such as The Avengers and Beyond (seriously?), I cannot find a better place where I want to belong. (149 words) — — —

And if you want to see a 100 word Why Us, here’s a nice one written for Dartmouth:

As someone who aspires to become an economist fighting climate change, I believe Dartmouth will be the best place to start. I look forward to model policy-making projects in Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation (ENV 50), but also applying these experiences to the Sustainability Task Force, where I hope to explore renewable solutions to contribute to Dartmouth’s 50% renewable energy target by 2025. But when I’m not at the Irving Institute for Energy and Society or on an Energy Immersion Trip, I hope to dig into new dishes with Spoon members or write preposterous (yet meaningful) articles for Jack-O-Lantern. (100 words) — — —

Be direct. With just 100 words, there’s little room for verbal bubble wrap. Just the goods. If you know what you want to study/be/do, consider clearly naming your dream or aspiration in the first sentence. This writer tells us that she aspires to be a climate change-fighting economist (cool) and alludes to a future major or double major (bonus). If you don’t know what you want to do/study/major in, don’t worry, just focus on the tips below.

List specific classes. This shows that you’ve done your research (and for one of the most research-intensive universities in the United States, maybe even the world, this matters). Listing specific, pertinent classes is the first rite of passage to make it into the “Why us?” essay hall of fame. This student takes it a step further, showing us how she’ll apply the knowledge she’s gained from “Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation (ENV 50)” to the “Sustainability Task Force,” where she’ll contribute to a university-wide goal (“50% renewable energy target by 2025”). Gold stars for days.

Imagine yourself at the college: Rather than writing, “I hope to participate in the Irving Institute for Energy and Society,” this student uses the present tense (“I’m”) as if she is already at the school. Paint a picture of yourself on campus: What are you doing? How are you engaged with the college’s community in and out of the classroom? Imagination is a powerful tool. Help the reader see you there. 

Show a side of yourself that you haven’t elsewhere in your application. We know you’re smart and motivated by research and academics. But, what else? Remember that these super-short essays are the speed dating of college essays. In the last line, we learn that this student is not just a future climate change-fighting economist, but also a foodie and a writer who plans to write “preposterous” and “meaningful” articles for the school magazine. What’s not to love?

Here’s another great example:

Dartmouth’s abundance of trees reminds me of my local arboretum, a refuge which has nurtured my science enthusiasm and encouraged me to branch out into social sciences. In the Biology-Modified major, Disease, The Environment, and Human History will teach me about diet modifications and diseases that have intensified negative environmental changes. Advocating for H.Res.109 (Green New Deal) has expanded my interests in sociology and environmental science. Through Health Disparities, I would learn how race and social class affect health treatments,while expanding the practical knowledge I’ve gained at Community-Servings, a nonprofit that provides healthy food for impoverished families. (100) — — —

That’s all, folks! Come back and click deep into our blogs after checking out more application advice from the Tufts admissions team themselves.

Special thanks to Andy for writing this blog post

Andrew Simpson, CEG’s Editorial Director, has worked as an educator, consultant, and curriculum writer for the past 15 years, and earned degrees from Stanford in Political Science and Drama. He feels most at home on mountain tops and in oceans.

Top Values:  Insight/Growth | Truth | Integrity

Tufts Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

July 13, 2023

Tufts University has long been a highly-selective school. Yet, the Class of 2027 was the second time the acceptance rate dipped into the single-digits at 9.5%. As at any college that rejects more than 9 of every 10 applicants who apply (the overwhelming majority of whom are supremely qualified), aspiring Jumbos need every single component of their application to shine brightly. The Tufts supplemental essays are one such area of focus.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Tufts? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Tufts University: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Given this unprecedented level of selectivity, Tufts University’s supplemental section offers applicants a crucial opportunity to showcase their writing ability by generating powerful and detail-rich essays that will stand out to an admissions officer.

Tufts Supplemental Essay Question #1

Which aspects of the tufts undergraduate experience prompt your application in short, “why tufts” (100-150 words).

Tufts University is getting right down to business with this prompt. View this essay as akin to ending up in an elevator with a potential investor with 20 seconds to sell your million-dollar idea. In this “elevator pitch” essay, you only have 150 words to communicate why Tufts is a perfect match for you. As such, this one is going to require a fair amount of school-specific research. Further, plan on a good deal of editing in order to tighten up your essay enough to stay under the word limit.

How to write a winning “Why Tufts?” essay

• How will you take advantage of the university’s vast resources both inside and outside of the classroom?
• How will you become an active, contributing member of the student body?
• Show evidence of how your past/current endeavors will carry over onto the Tufts campus.
• Address a) why Tufts is the perfect fit for you and  b) why you are the perfect fit for Tufts.
• Cite specific academic programs, professors, research opportunities, internship/externship programs, study abroad programs, student-run organizations, etc. (as in the examples below).

Tufts Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Below are some examples of unique facts about Tufts University that you may find helpful as you brainstorm your response:

• There are 41 arts and performance groups on campus for the artistically-inclined.
• There are 300 total student organizations in which you can participate—pick one or two to elaborate on.
• Students are able to double major across colleges.
• With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, two-thirds of undergraduate sections are kept under 20 students.
• There are numerous undergraduate research programs and scholarships at Tufts. Which one appeals to you and what would you research?
• 40% of juniors study abroad and Tufts boasts a number of notable programs in Beijing, Chile, Ghana, London, and more.
• There are more than 70 undergraduate majors to choose from.
• The Experimental College is a one-of-kind program.
• Tufts offers internship grants to a number of non-profit and government posts.
• An annual Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium presents an exciting opportunity to present your original work to faculty.

Of course, these are just 10 out of the countless features that could be part of a successful essay. As you enter the prewriting stage, you’ll want to decide which elements will provide the most needle-moving value.

One last note on this essay—Tufts is nice enough to actually provide examples of their favorite “Why Tufts?” essays from the last admissions cycle.

Tufts University Supplemental Essay Question #2

Now we’d like to know a little more about you. please respond to one of the following three questions. (200-250 words):, a) it’s cool to love learning. what excites your intellectual curiosity.

In our experience, this is the prompt that applicants tend to select most often, primarily because the “Why Tufts?” essay is so short, students don’t feel they have enough space to talk about the academic discipline they hope to study at the university.

Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or 19th century French novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. What topic makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Share the manner in which you relentlessly pursue knowledge. Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information.

The admissions reader should emerge with the sense that you are a sincerely curious person with a strong intellectual drive. If that curiosity can be tied into your intended area of study, all the better!

B) How have the environments or experiences of your upbringing – your family, home, neighborhood, or community – shaped the person you are today?

This essay encourages you to describe how your environment/community has shaped you into the present version of yourself. Community can be a “community” in any form: an ethnic, religious, family, or neighborhood community, or a group of individuals who gather for a club, sport, or service project. You are the captain of a team, the editor-in-chief of your school paper, the president of a club… but don’t just rest on those laurels—instead, bring your involvement to life. Use your writing ability to show the admissions officer the impact your community has had on your dreams rather than merely telling them. If your family/home (parent, grandparent, sibling) was a powerful force in your growth and development, that can be the sole focus of a successful composition here as well.

C) Where are you on your journey of engaging with or fighting for social justice?

Some students may have more direct experience with social justice than others, but—no matter your background—this is an opportunity to demonstrate that you care about justice and fairness in your local community as well as the global community. If applicable, you can speak about a time when you spoke up for a peer in a moment of need. Or, alternatively, share an instance when you got involved in a larger cause or movement (politics, activism, volunteer work, etc.). If you don’t have a deeply personal story to tell in this realm, you’ll want to select a different prompt. While there’s nothing wrong with simply articulating your basic beliefs in the values of inclusion, equity, tolerance, and diversity, it doesn’t necessarily make for the most compelling essay.

If you do choose this essay prompt, draw on past evidence of your commitment to being a positive force in your community and speculate how that is likely to manifest on Tufts’ campus. Research and cite Tufts’ student-run organizations, local nonprofit groups, or anything else you are drawn to. Drawing the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here.

How important are the Tufts supplemental essays?

Tufts views six factors as being “very important” to their applicant evaluation process. These are: the rigor of one’s coursework, the GPA earned, class rank, recommendations, character/personal qualities, and—most relevant for our purposes here—the essays.

For all essays, we recommend heeding the advice of one Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University who stated: “Be yourself. When writing your essays, you don’t have to sound like you already have your PhD (spoiler: we know you don’t—you’re applying for an undergraduate program). Instead, employ a voice in your writing that feels authentically you, exploring the topics you actually care about. That’s the voice that will help you stand out in our process.”

Tufts Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Tufts supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote  today.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, tufts essays that worked: what made them successful.

Hi all! I'm applying to Tufts and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on what qualities successful essays to this university had. What were the standout factors that made these essays unique and appealing to the admissions officers? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey there! It's great to hear you're applying to Tufts. I can share some insights on what makes a successful essay for their application. Firstly, you want to make sure your essay has a strong personal voice that reflects who you are as an individual. Don't be afraid to let your personality show.

Then, successful Tufts essays tend to demonstrate intellectual curiosity and engagement with the world around you. If you can showcase how you're intrigued by a particular subject and how you strive for deeper understanding, that will be highly valued by Tufts' admissions officers. It's important to be detailed and use storytelling techniques like anecdotes to convey your passion for learning and the opportunities at Tufts.

Lastly, make sure you're answering the specific essay prompts in a tailored way. For instance, if you're asked about an aspect of your identity, really dig deep into your personal experiences and demonstrate how it influences your life and worldviews. Personal reflection will go a long way and reveal more about yourself than just describing surface-level character traits.

Remember, there's no fool-proof formula for a successful essay, but these general tips can guide you to create a strong, unique, and engaging application essay for Tufts. Good luck with your application, and I hope this helps!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Dispelling Myths

Admissions officers answer lots of questions.  It’s part of the job description.  And many students ask us similar versions of the same questions. The blogosphere is filled with viral rumors about college admissions, about what “counts” and what doesn’t and why. These ideas fester in high school cafeterias and cyber spots like “College Confidential” and Facebook, among others, so we want to use this corner of the Internet to clear the air. In random order, here are some of the myths we hear every day:

Let's tackle the myths:

It's better to get a lower grade in a harder course than it is to get a higher grade in an easier course, if my test scores are below a certain number, i won't get in, anything that's "optional" on a college application is actually secretly "required", it looks bad if i take the sat (or the act) too many times, i have a better chance of getting in if i go meet my admissions officer, send them emails, and get an interview with them, i need to be the president of every club i'm in to be competitive in my college application, it's easier to get in early decision, i won't get in if i didn't do community service, sending 8 letters of recommendation and an additional essay will give me a better chance of getting in, if 30 people apply from my high school to one college, it's harder for me to get into that school, if i get into college early decision, i don't have to worry about working the rest of the year, admissions officers check up on your facebook accounts, if i send in all of my test scores, admissions officers will hold the lower ones against me, if a coach calls me, it means i'm being recruited, if anything arrives after the deadline my application will be denied (or looked at more harshly).

Well, yes and no. Part of our academic assessment of your application is a consideration of curricular rigor. We determine the availability of advanced coursework at your school (AP, IB, honors, etc.) and evaluate your transcript on a scale from “most demanding available” to “below average.” Your GPA is evaluated in that context, so yes, sometimes the "lower grade in the harder course" is "better" than the "higher grade in an easier course." But that doesn't mean that a transcript full of Cs in AP classes is better than straight As in classes a step down. Know yourself and put together a schedule that will challenge and engage you but not cause you to flounder academically.

Nope. We use no score cutoffs when we read applications. Academic strength can be measured in lots of ways, and testing is an imperfect metric for determining the preparedness of every student for college. That's why we combine all the work you've done in the classroom by looking at your grades and the rigor of your curriculum alongside your testing (if you choose to submit scores) to determine your overall academic strength. So while we do use test scores as one predictor of academic success at Tufts (for students who choose to submit them), we think about those scores in context and in conjunction with so many other factors. We simply cannot have a test score "cutoff." The only exception is with English proficiency tests, for which we do have recommended minimum scores. You can read about that here .

The “optional” sections of an application are  not  covert opportunities to trip you up. Seriously. If an essay or a standardized test or an interview is labeled “optional,” there is truth to that blessed adjective. The college has given you a choice. Use it or dispose of it as you see fit. Don’t over-analyze it. It’s not a trick question, and you won’t be “penalized” if you skip it. That’s why it’s “optional.” If it says something is “recommended,” well, that’s a different conversation…

Tufts University is extending its current test-optional policy to include students applying for admission in the fall of 2024, 2025, and 2026, giving applicants a choice about whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered with their application.

We do not penalize students who take the same test multiple times. For your own sanity, however, you should retake your SAT or ACT purposefully. Taking the same test five times is a strain on you and your family - both financially and, let's face it, when it comes to everyone's happiness. And the reward is often at that point not worth the sacrifice. If you feel that taking a certain test a second or third time will improve your score to one with which you'll feel happy, that is an excellent reason to take the test again. Otherwise, let yourself be done.

While we welcome your questions and you should feel free to reach out to us with specific concerns, this type of contact with us is not going to “help” your application. We don’t offer interviews with our admissions staff as part of our process, and you don’t need to meet with the admissions officer who reads for your territory on your campus visit – in fact, you shouldn’t. The individual presenting at your information session is happy to answer questions and has the same knowledge and expertise as the person who will eventually read your file.

The lesson here is don’t send emails or request meetings just for the sake of it. There are better ways to show us “demonstrated interest.” If you can visit campus, meet us if we visit your high school or come say hello at a college fair, we will appreciate the fact that you are making the effort to get to know Tufts and assess whether it is a good fit for you. If you write fabulous, specific responses to our Tufts short-answer questions (particularly “Why Tufts?”) based on research you did online, we notice, and it helps. So when thinking about showing demonstrated interest, please be purposeful.

Picture this: 12 people who were president of the mock trial team in high school join mock trial at Tufts. What happens? Most likely you have a room full of people yelling at each other. The success of any club depends on leaders but also listeners, decision-makers but also peacekeepers, doers but also thinkers... you get the idea.

Of course, extracurricular engagement is one of the areas we consider when evaluating applications, and leadership roles demonstrate outstanding commitment to an activity. But so do things like consistent and extended involvement and personal contributions. Use the space you're given in the Activities section to explain your official or unofficial role on the team was so we can begin to picture your role in your extracurriculars in college.

Not true. The students we accept in Early Decision are of the same high quality as the students we accept in Regular Decision - on average they have the same grades, scores, extracurricular commitments and vibrant qualities that make our applicants qualified. You should never apply to a school Early Decision for strategic purposes - Early Decision is an opportunity to apply if you know that you would choose Tufts over any other school on your list.

Community service is a great thing, and it's something that really matters to Tufts (we do have an entire college of Civic Life for a reason). But, there is no requirement for acceptance that says you have to do community service to get accepted, and plenty of the students we accept haven't done any. We generally prefer that the activities you do are things that are meaningful to you. And that goes for everything, not just community service! So you should try community service (and athletics, and music, and anything that you think you might love) - if you really like it and end up doing a lot, great! If not, spend that time doing something else productive (sorry, watching Friends re-runs on Netflix doesn't count as productive). Start a band, join mock trial, play a sport, or write short stories - whatever makes you happy. Your application will be much stronger if you follow your passions rather than spending your time checking off boxes for admissions officers.

This is one of those scenarios in which "less is more" is generally true. We require each item in our application for a reason, and an application with too many "extras" can actually dilute your message and take attention away from the salient points we asked for. It is actually  more helpful to send us two recommendations from teachers telling us distinctly different things about you than it is to send us six recommendations from teachers saying the same wonderful things about you. 

We read files by school so that we can better understand your success in the context of your environment. For that reason, we do evaluate your application in the context of the other students in your class. This helps us put your performance into perspective, especially as it pertains to the rigor of your curriculum. But there is no quota from each school. If 10 students apply from your high school and all 10 students impress us, it’s possible that everyone could be accepted. The best advice we can give is don’t worry about who else is applying from your school. Give us your best effort.

All of the students we admit in Early Decision (and in Regular Decision) are notified in their acceptance letter that we expect them to “maintain the level of academic and personal excellence that distinguished them as an applicant.” In other words, if you slack off later in your senior year, we notice, and it could jeopardize your acceptance.

No, we don’t. Seriously (and that goes for Instagram, Twitter, etc.) If this type of inspection would be useful to our decision-making, we would ask you to send us a link to your Facebook page so we could evaluate its content. But there are enough things in your application for us to evaluate and, frankly, there are some things we should not see. Facebook is one of them. (That’s why it’s called “creeping,” isn’t it?) Having said that, Facebook  is  a public space and a reflective pause before you post is always prudent, especially if it’s on a college’s admissions page.

Everybody wins when we use your highest test scores. No matter which tests you are submitting to Tufts, we will take the highest scores on each section of that test to evaluate. End of story.

Getting a call from a coach doesn't mean you're getting recruited. It means the coach called you, and may be interested in recruiting you at some point. Once a coach has told you that you have their support, this is not a guarantee of admission. It means that the coach's support will be considered by the admissions office as part of the holistic review of your application (alongside your academic strength, extracurricular achievement, and personal qualities). The coach's support certainly makes an impact, but we'll still be looking for students who are strong academic and personal fits for Tufts, even when evaluating recruited athletes.

Your part of the application— the Common Application, the Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application —must be received by the deadline. But, your Secondary School Report, teacher recommendations, alumni interview, and standardized testing can—and often do—arrive after that date. We understand that different high schools are on different schedules, test scores often take a long time to process and send, and teachers are writing many recommendations and often need some additional time to get those in - and that's OK. For more information on material deadlines, refer to this page.

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Why [This College]: An Essay That's Never Optional

How to write a strong "why this college" essay.

Supplemental essays have been around for generations, and there’s a good reason: they enable admissions officers to see just how serious a candidate is about the target college. That’s particularly important in this test-optional admissions era characterized by unprecedented application volumes, especially to selective colleges and public research universities.

I always tell students to picture an admissions reader at their screen reading hundreds of essays. Yours has to stand out and grab their attention. So get ready to nail those supplemental essays, especially your response to the most common prompt: Why [Name of College]?

How Colleges Use Supplemental Essays

According to an article in the Cornell Sun , supplemental essays are reviewed at multiple steps in a complex applicant review process. “The essay is the opportunity for students to demonstrate both their writing skills and that they have taken the time to research and learn about Cornell,” states Pamela Tan, now Deputy Director of Admissions.

On the Tufts website, Becky Stiles, Associate Director, Tufts Admission, shares :

“I do want to stress the part about being specific in your Why Tufts? Essay . . . Specificity allows you to show off your knowledge of our community while also helping admissions officers picture you here . . . This year, I will read close to 3,000 supplemental essay questions, and it is surprisingly easy to tell when a student just isn’t excited or honest. Put a lot of hustle into your supplement. Know that the time you take pays off . . . Some students who end up applying to Tufts might not have us at the top of their list or have shown demonstrated interest in the traditional sense. But some of those students will show us through their application that they are quintessential Jumbo.”

How Colleges Present Their Essay Prompt

Here are a few “Why [Name of College]?” prompts released for the 2020-21 application cycle.

There are thousands of universities and colleges. Why are you interested in attending Chapman ? ( Chapman , 200 words or fewer)

While arguing a Dartmouth -related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line:

"It is, sir,…a small college, and yet there are those who love it!" As you seek admission to the Class of 2026, what aspects of the College's program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? ( Dartmouth , 100 words)

Why are you applying to Occidental ? What are your intellectual curiosities and why do you think Occidental is the right place for you to pursue them? ( Occidental , 200 words max)

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison . In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest. ( Wisconsin , 650 words)

This is just a brief sampling, of course. As you tackle your supplements, you are bound to encounter this very popular prompt, with some colleges allowing more words than others. On the Common App, supplemental essay questions often appear in sections other than Writing, and this year is no exception. So check carefully before assuming that you’re off the hook.

Your Plan of Attack

Your response to the prompt is a special opportunity to link your skills, interest and research to that specific college.

Try these four techniques:

• Grid Out Your Ideas
• Focus Foremost on Academics
• Write With Style

While I like students to tackle their Personal Essay before writing the supplemental essays, you may want to switch that order if you’re taking a tour soon. Some of my students report that they’ve recently been able to attend formal admissions events; others have gone to campuses and taken self-guided tours. Of course, many have done virtual tours . No matter how you’ve seen a college, jot down your thoughts while they’re fresh in your mind. You don’t want to confuse one college with another. No admissions reader at Michigan wants to read an essay about sitting at the Memorial Union Terrace overlooking Lake Mendota. (That’s Wisconsin, not Michigan.)

Grid out your ideas

Even if you are a masterful writer, it pays to map out your response writing paragraphs. Here’s a chart representing the brainstorm of an actual student I counseled last year.

Focus foremost on academics

If you’ve been to New Orleans, you know that it’s about as lively a city as possible, including quaint streets, po ’boys, beignets and a classic streetcar. While Tulane Admissions appreciates that you love its unique town, would you really take up too many words writing about eating in New Orleans? After all, Tulane is a major research university located on the opposite side of the famous French Quarter. It embodies community service. Highly qualified students receive offers of special housing and honors programs. So whatever your plans might be should you wind up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, spare Tulane the details and tell them why you want to join their community.

The same holds true of colleges in major urban centers (think NYU, BU, USC). Sure, you want to go to college in [name of city] because of all it has to offer. But would a college rather hear about its location or its academics? Nearby shops or its research labs? What you’d do on a day off or what you’d contribute while on campus? You get the idea.

The student I referred to above took a virtual tour of Tulane, which she used in her introduction. She went on to elaborate on the key points in the grid above. She was admitted Early Action as a Tulane Honors Scholar, receiving the Founders Award merit scholarship: $23,000 annually! With her permission, I am sharing some of her essay below. (For more, check out Supplementing the College Supplement .)

Her opening sentence:

The first virtual campus tour I viewed during my college search process was Tulane’s, and I have yet to view a virtual tour that had as much as an impact on me.

Her thesis statement:

I would like to spend my next four years at a campus that values a balance between academics and involvement in campus life as well as a commitment to their surrounding community, and Tulane checks that box.

Her concluding paragraph:

Ultimately, the strong sense of community of collaborative, service-oriented, and happy students is what has drawn me into the spirited environment at Tulane. I know it is a place where I will not only pursue many academically enriching and challenging opportunities but also where I will find my happiness and form connections with others that will last a lifetime.

Write with style

Remember the storytelling approach that worked so well with your Common App Personal Essay? It can work just as well with the Why [Name of College]? essay. You have a story to tell about why you picked that college and what you can add to its community. Let them hear you!

That’s not to say that every supplemental essay needs to be clever and loaded with supporting details; some word counts won’t allow that. Be sincere, and use the checklist below. Read your essay out loud if that helps. Share it with a trusted friend or teacher.

Tulane’s word count (i.e., up to 800 words) is about as high as you’ll see for Why [Name of College]? What if you’re a prospective film major targeting Chapman University and you have 200 words to show your love? You can’t afford to spare too many words on the proximity to Hollywood. So take those 200 words and make sure you tell Chapman admissions readers what you want to study, how their program will enable you to maximize your experience and what else you’ll be involved with if you’re fortunate enough to be included in their Class of 2026.

Four Things NOT to do on the "Why This College" Essay

• Don’t write what you can read on the website. (They already know that.)
• Don’t assume optional really means optional. (It doesn’t.)
• Don’t tell them they’re the only college that offers incredible internships. (They’re not.)
• Don’t reuse essays for different colleges. If you must cut and paste, be sure to edit and customize!

Supplemental Essay Checklist

• Look through all sections of the college’s supplement for prompts (not just Writing).
• Be sure the essay is written in authentic voice ( yours ).
• Check English grammar and usage.
• Verify the word count.
• Use the Common App Preview button.
• Link your experiences to the college.

We never know what will happen in a given year. But If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to attaining the desired outcome, hopefully at your first choice school!

Keep Reading

Read on for more tips on writing college essays or view Nina Berler's eBook on Supplemental Essays .

Applying early? See what other applicants are saying on the early decision forums.

Nina Berler

Nina Berler is a college counselor and founder of unCommon Apps . Her ebook, Supplementing the College Supplement , available on Apple Books , contains actual examples from student work. Nina has an AB with Honors from Brown University and an MBA from the Stern School of Business, New York University. She holds a Certificate with Distinction in College Counseling from UCLA Extension. Nina is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC).

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Literally Optional (Qs about the Optional Essay)

<p>I've just returned from a month of recruitment in Asia, where I fielded more than a few questions about our supplement, and the optional essay in particular. I really want to open a thread on the optional essay in particular, where members of the CC community can come and get advice about the purpose of the Optional Essay and how to tackle the questions. And because this is the internet, where one can do basically whatever one pleases, I can do what I want and so I'm starting a thread.</p>

<p>And to get the ball rolling, I'm eager to answer the most common question I get regarding the Optional Essay. Just yesterday, a current freshman (admitted ED) came by to say hello and we talked about how he struggled to write an optional essay, one he didn't feel like writing, until his guidance counselor showed him a blog post from the dean ( Myths</a>, Viral Rumors, and Old Wives Tales ). He didn't end up writing an optional essay.</p>

<p>**Question: Is it really optional?</p>

<p>Answer: Oh god, it really is. **</p>

<p>And here is the explanation for why. The odd paradox of a college application is that you (the applicant) actually want me to get through your app quickly. The faster I can make it through, the easier it is to remember and reflect on the important parts of your file once I'm done. You don't want to dilute the potency of your app with writings or recommendations that don't add, that distract from valuable insight that is present, that leave me wondering why it was that I just read something unnecessary.</p>

<p>If you read the optional essay questions, and one of them strikes your fancy, one of them seems like something you might actually enjoy answering, you should write one. That energy comes through, and you will likely reveal something important about yourself. My application reading schedule for regular decision (ED is easier) consists of 60-80 hour weeks for two months. It is ok to give me less to read. If you wrote it and don't feel fondly about what you've written, I am likely to feel the same way. Please don't write an optional essay just because you feel like you "should"; instead, give that energy and time to the other Tufts essays that aren't optional, or to your other applications.</p>

<p>For question 6a “Use an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper to create something. Blueprint your future home, create a new product, draw a comic strip, design a costume or a theatrical set, compose a score, or do something entirely different. Let your imagination wander.”</p>

<p>How are we supposed to upload the final work? Can it only be sent by mail?</p>

<p>You can send a PDF/Image e-mail to us, which we can print, or you can mail it in.</p>

<p>Lots of questions about the Tufts supplement bouncing around on the forums, so:</p>

<p>Bump</p>

<p>Is it a problem if you’d like to do the Youtube video option, but don’t have a nice video camera? I really want to make a video, but I’m a little worried that the quality of the video might not be the best.</p>

<p>nolagirl, last year I spent an afternoon looking at the videos that Tufts applicants had posted on Youtube. One thing that really struck me in looking at them was how differently people approached it. For some, it was an opportunity to share amazing film editing and production skills. For others, it was simply an easy way to show something–set up the camera and demonstrate. Across all the levels of technology, there were a lot of real gems.</p>

<p>My favorite from last year was a student from the Chicago area who just sat down in front of his $5 webcam and just starting talking. </p>

<p>Authentic is good, and I - and others - absolutely don’t care about how nice your video camera is.</p>

<p>Just wondering, to what address should I send my 6a PDF/image?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>You can e-mail it to <a href=“ mailto:[email protected] ”>[email protected]</a></p>

<p>I have to give Tufts a lot of Credit for the way they handle the Application/Admissions process. With all the Common Applications and Score Choice and other things that come into play during this process you have allowed my son the opportunity to really think about who he is and what he has become and what he wants to be as a result some of the additional work required for your essays, alumni interview, etc… Regardless of how it turns out for him, thank you and have a great holiday season.</p>

<p>Both my kids thought that certain colleges’ essays were life-focusing for them in that they had to really thinking about who they were and what they wanted. Both came out of the the process feeling they’d written the best essays of their lives and having a road map for their futures.</p>

<p>I will say, as the parent of a Tufts freshman, the place walks the talk, too. S2 has been very happy with his experiences so far.</p>

<p>^My son (admittedly taking similar and in some cases the same courses) would say the same thing.</p>

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“When I thought of coming to Tufts, I thought there’s no way we would ever be accepted in that type of environment,” Jody Boykins said. But in class, he and the traditional students like Louise Bond, A25, share stories about their very different backgrounds while also finding what they have in common. “It does not matter what walk of life you come from,” he decided. “We are all the same.”

College in Prison Changed Them. Now They Want to Change Minds

TUPIT students, including the first Tufts class to earn their bachelor’s degrees behind bars, celebrate the program that turned them on to civic responsibility

Shane wheeled the yellow mop bucket to the side of the corridor, out of the way of the other imprisoned men. At the medium security facility where he is in year 25 of his life-without-parole sentence, he works as a janitor. His job has him looking at the floors, but at that moment, he was thinking about the stars. 

From his pocket, he took a bundle of small papers and photos held together with a rubber band. He extracted three index cards—the feedback his instructors had given him weeks ago on his final project for astronomy class, a poem about the ways scientists use light to obtain knowledge about the universe. 

Why was he still carrying the cards? “For inspiration,” he said. 

In January, Shane (last name withheld for privacy) was one of 10 students to graduate from Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree he earned while in prison at Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord. It took five years and all the inspiration he could get. Sure, many who knew him as a teen would be shocked to hear he’s a college grad. Others say he only needed the opportunity. 

“My sister said she has always seen it in me,” Shane said. “I just had a lot of distractions.”

While the Department of Correction offers vocational education in fields like barber training and culinary arts, its partnership with the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT) is dedicated to the idea that higher education in the liberal arts can transform people in ways that other rehabilitation programs can’t. Access to college courses, Shane said, is “one of the most valuable things that has happened to this prison system” in that it has given him and his classmates “comprehensive ways of really looking at the world.”

TUPIT’s executive director, Hilary Binda, AG03, founded the program in 2016 when she brought 10 Tufts undergraduates into MCI-Shirley for a literature class with 10 incarcerated people. More courses, like biology and philosophy, followed. Within two years, the program was centered at MCI-Concord with enough students earning college credit that TUPIT could offer them an associate degree through Bunker Hill Community College. 

With Tufts faculty teaching courses of the same rigor they offered on the Medford/Somerville campus, the question became: Why isn’t this a Tufts degree?

Jody Boykins prepared for class during the T ride to Tufts from one of his two jobs in Boston.

Many college-in-prison programs exist across the country, some run by elite institutions like Tufts. But while other universities offer prisoners a continuing education degree, or a degree through a partnering state school, or a separate degree created just for the incarcerated, few give bachelor’s degrees that are identical to those that its traditional students receive on the outside.

In 2021, the Tufts Arts and Sciences faculty voted unanimously to offer the incarcerated students a chance to earn a bachelor’s in civic studies, the degree that Shane and the rest of the first cohort received this year.   

That the Tufts degree, a partnership between the School of Arts and Sciences and Tisch College, is centered on civic studies is unique among prison programs—and intentional. It draws on the university’s commitment to civic education while also reflecting research in the field. In 2017, for  a qualitative study , Binda and her Tufts colleagues interviewed previously incarcerated men who had taken college courses while in prison. They heard three things over and over: that the students felt more confident in their abilities, more connected to other people, and, notably, more responsible to the world beyond themselves . They were starting careers in health care, criminal law, education, and nonprofits with a focus on low-income communities.

Binda hears the same when she asks students about what they want to do when they get out of prison: “I want to make sure that the kids who are out there now have the resources I didn’t have.” “I want to change the way people making the policies understand the issues.”

The takeaway? That with the right knowledge and skills, people who were once considered a drain on society could become not just active contributors, but civic leaders.

Binda asked her students to encourage Boykins to sign up for the program. He finally gave in. “That was the start of the rest of my life,” he said. “It was hope when there was nothing left … a sense of vision when you are blind.”

Binda first became interested in prison education as a high school teacher in Rhode Island, where some of her students were cycling in and out prison. During visits she found they had trouble picturing a future that was different from their pasts. After earning her PhD in English from Tufts and joining the faculty as a senior lecturer, Binda applied for a Tufts grant that would allow her to offer liberal arts classes to incarcerated people, with the aim of helping to foster the critical thinking and self-reflection skills that would help them envision a new path. 

That goal was at the back of Binda’s mind one February afternoon this year at MCI-Concord as 17 men took their seats in her English class. Binda started with an ice breaker, asking the students to pair up and share something with their partner that people might find surprising about them. Afterward, they reported back to the class: “Erving has a black belt in karate.” “Alex did ballet as a child.”

The students come to know each other well as they work toward their degrees. This relationship-building lays the civic cornerstone of appreciating others’ points of view. It’s also an antidote to the policies of separation and isolation that the penal system uses to keep order and maintain safety, Binda said, and to the men’s tendency to keep to themselves for their own protection while inside.

“I’ve had many students say to me, ‘I’ve known him for 25 years, I grew up on his street, and I never knew he was like that,’” Binda said.

Reentry and Community: Life During and After Incarceration

Members of the campus community are invited to join the Tufts Education and Reentry Network (MyTERN) 2024 Symposium on Monday, April 8, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Through panel discussions, formerly incarcerated MyTERN students and fellows and TUPIT organizational partners will explore how individuals coming home after prison navigate housing, employment, and social and emotional well-being. 

Event details are available here .

The class analyzed the day’s assigned readings, which included an essay by Walter Benn Michaels on whether diversity is a cure for racism or just an end run. The TUPIT students were hungry to talk as they applied the essay to racial divisions in the prison. One student, Omar, said that he was invited by another member of the cohort to be his cell mate, recognizing they both might want to stay up late to study. He got pushback from his Latino peers. “They said, ‘You’re going to make it acceptable to be cellies with Black people.’” 

College in prison, Binda said later, facilitates these small changes in outlook “that can lead to big changes in the prison system and in the communities to which people return home.”

During the class, Timothy, who earned his bachelor’s degree in January and has since volunteered as Binda’s unofficial teaching assistant, filled out name tags and passed out papers. Since college classes came to MCI-Concord, he said, prison is different. It’s a remarkable thing, he said, “getting men who are in a culture where you have to be macho-masculine to stand up and do soliloquies from Shakespeare.” 

The change has gone beyond the 42 men taking the classes at Concord, he said. Instead of pulp novels that read like action movies, they read books with complex themes. And when they talk in the yard about what they’ve read, others listen. 

“It’s infectious in the best way possible,” he said. “Every conversation is a chance to pass that on.”

As the class broke up, another student, Keon, stepped forward, a serious expression on his face. He needed to convey how important the TUPIT program has been to him, particularly Binda and the other faculty. “They make you feel seen,” he said, “not talking to you in ways that are belittling you.” 

Like any students, TUPIT students interpret every academic subject through their own experiences, Binda said, which means that a sociology reading might lead to a discussion of ‘gang life.’ “And as professors, we’re saying ‘We’re interested in learning from you too. What you have lived and what you know has tremendous value.” 

Binda and Boykins walk to the class on Storytelling for Social Change.

While the incarcerated students go through exams, essays, and interviews to compete for a spot in the TUPIT program, AP classes and SAT scores aren’t something they bring to the table. Some people doubt that prisoners have the academic ability to earn a Tufts degree.

Binda counters that while most TUPIT students didn’t have the resources that would prepare them for college in a standard academic sense, “they all bring a different kind of intelligence” and “a fierce dedication” to make the most of this opportunity, which sets them up to succeed in the program.

Tufts lecturer Andrew West saw this in his science class last semester. Most of the TUPIT students found his first exam a challenge, which didn’t surprise him, considering some haven’t taken algebra in decades. But they soon caught on. 

Their final projects left West with no doubt that these students could hold their own with the ones he teaches on campus. One performed a poem that synthesized—accurately—the principles they had covered in the course, rapping about Newton’s and Kepler’s laws, even keeping his flow as he wrote equations on the white board. One turned the course’s themes into artwork; without access to paint, he scrounged things like M&Ms to make pigment. 

West and his TAs watched the presentations with amazement. “All three of us were like, ‘What did we just witness?’”

West may have joined TUPIT as a contribution to social justice, but he thinks he made out in the deal, getting to lead the kind of class every educator hopes for. “I had 10 people who wanted to be there, who were super engaged, who asked amazing questions, who were ready to work their butts off,” he said. 

Everyone who touches the TUPIT program seems to come away energized. Rebecca Sewall, J87, one of several Tufts alums who volunteer for TUPIT, was surprised by the enthusiasm of Jims, the student she mentors. She remembered one sociology reading they went over: She had absorbed enough to understand the main argument, whereas Jims could articulate all the author’s points with full command. 

“That’s emblematic of how he approaches this whole experience, like this is a huge opportunity that he has really thrown himself into,” she said. “That to me is inspiring and refreshing—and reminds me of how many learning opportunities I’ve squandered.”

But do incarcerated people deserve this shot at higher learning? “People have a right to an education,” said Binda, especially those whose lives were ravaged not just by economic insecurity, unsafe neighborhoods, and systemic racism but “by a lack of access to education and the opportunities it creates.” 

In class, the students take responsibility for crimes they have committed while at the same time studying the social factors that lead to crime. “And this sense of accountability grows as people read and learn and listen,” Binda said. “Our students come to understand ways that they, too, were harmed by the culture of violence they grew up in. The phrase ‘hurt people hurt people; healed people heal people’ has a powerful hold on many of our students.” 

The desire to change the cycle for others, she said, “is a big part of why so many of these people, once they are home, are finding jobs that enable them to give back and help repair this society.”

Jody Boykins was released from prison in November. That same day, he made it to the Tufts campus for class.

For some, the most compelling argument in favor of prison education is fiscal.  A study of female offenders in New York State found that 30% percent of those released from prison returned to custody within three years, but the recidivism rate for those who took college classes while in prison was less than 8%. And less time in prison saves the state money. According to a  RAND Corporation study , “For every dollar invested in prison education programs, you’re saving taxpayers between $4 to $5 in re-incarceration costs, and that’s a conservative estimate.”

For its part, the TUPIT program is supported almost entirely by donations and grants, with the university waiving tuition costs. 

To keep the recidivism rate as low as possible, TUPIT developed the  Tufts Educational Re-entry Network , or MyTERN. It helps the newly released with employment, housing, technology training, financial literacy, and emotional support while enabling students to continue their education in civic studies. On the Tufts campus, they take courses designed for them like Policy, Politics and Advocacy and Storytelling for Social Change. They also tell their own stories at schools and at community events, honing their skills as activists and civic leaders. 

A MyTERN centerpiece is classes that traditional students and the formerly incarcerated take together. Walls come down as they share their radically different life experiences, but also discover what they have in common, Binda said. 

One such course, called Literatures of Justice, met in a classroom in Tisch Library in the fall. In a class just before Thanksgiving, students talked and laughed together over some pre-class pizza, but things turned pensive when Binda had them share their thoughts on the upcoming holiday. 

Some would be going home to see their parents. Others, too far from home to journey for the short break, were missing their families. For Jody Boykins, who completed a sentence just two weeks prior, it would be his first Thanksgiving out of prison since 2017, and the question of family was complicated. “I don’t talk to my cousins for a reason,” he said. “We are living different lives.” 

For many, joining TUPIT means severing old ties, whether to the drug business or to gang life and its rules of reprisal. Later, Boykins talked about a course he had taken inside called The Apology.

“That class changed my life,” he said. “It taught me that you cannot ask for forgiveness if you are not willing to give it. It helped me look into the eyes of the man who killed my uncle 17 years ago. I met up with that guy in a state prison yard and I found the nerve to listen to him.” 

Re-entry to society is a struggle, even with supports like MyTERN, but Boykins was committed. The same day of his release in November, he made it to Medford for class. By February, he would have a 3.95 GPA, be starting a job at a Boston soup kitchen, and thinking about summer courses.

The day after the graduation ceremony, the TUPIT students heard unsettling news: The state announced plans to close the aged MCI-Concord facility before the summer—a surprise to many, including Binda. She worked quickly with the Department of Correction to ensure her students would stay together, locating a new base for TUPIT at MCI-Shirley.

At about the same time, the students got another shock, one that offered a jolt of hope for several of them. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling that banned life-without-parole for people who were under 21 at the time of their crime, a first in the nation. 

“We have seven students currently who may have thought they would never leave prison,” Binda said, “and now they have a chance for parole.”

Shane, the janitor, is one of them. If he gets out, he hopes to stay in academia. 

“It seems counter-intuitive to put trust in people that are incarcerated,” he said, but that trust is transformative, and will lead them “to live in harmony and contribute to humanity in responsible and surprising ways.”

Rewriting Their Prison Stories, Sentence by Sentence

Learning Lessons—and Earning Degrees—on the Inside

Learning Ethics in Prison

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The Death of the Pure Elective

Remember taking classes for fun my students don’t..

“Why would you ever take an entire course on trauma?”

That was the question I asked my students last year at the beginning of a semester-long, waitlisted class on the most distressing type of psychic pain. Were they aspiring psychologists or social workers? Had they themselves been traumatized? Were they searching for tools to deal with catastrophe? Or had they just been intrigued by the topic?

I braced myself for their answers and was shocked that, to a person, they all responded the exact same way:

The course fulfilled a graduation requirement.

Accordingly, I was less surprised this year when I heard the same reply from participants in a very different (also full) course I taught on the philosophy of charity: They needed it for their degree.

I’m seeing this attitude more and more at the college where I teach, Boston University: Electives as you might remember them are out. Matthew Bae, a director of academic advising at BU, says he sees not more than one or two students a semester sign up for a course merely because they’re interested. “Students taking pure electives are the exception, not the rule,” Bae said, “and I always remember them because they’re so rare they stand out.”

If students can’t figure out what the immediate use value of a course is, they won’t take it. And so far as I can tell, this utilitarian approach is directly related to the rising costs of college.

Or perhaps I should say skyrocketing costs. Because, as the Boston Globe reported  last week, four top New England universities—Tufts, Wellesley, Yale, and BU—will cost an unconscionable $90,000 a year next fall. Northeastern and MIT aren’t far behind. That means that the price tag for an undergraduate education at these institutions is about to push past a third of a million dollars .

These universities will say that such numbers are “sticker prices”—and that financial aid packages ease the burden. (Asked for comment on the price increase, a BU spokesperson made that argument to a local news outlet, adding that the average aid package at the school was $67,000 in 2023–24.) But a 2023  survey by Sallie Mae indicates that students across the country still shoulder, on average, 71 percent of costs through family contributions and loans.

The effects of this trend are manifold. Recent surveys suggest that one of these is increasing student anxiety. According to a 2022 poll, 68 percent of undergraduates say that it is a struggle for them or their families to pay for college; another indicates that a whopping 92 percent of students fear they won’t have enough money to cover tuition. No wonder stress and worry are a daily struggle  for the broad majority of college students.

And another effect, while less visible, is no less pernicious. Because 78 percent of students believe that the price is worth it anyway—but only so long as it leads to financial independence. In other words, a university education better pay.

This is the brute logic of economics, which encourages students to see each course as a product that should earn a short-term return on investment. And this same logic is keeping students from doing the most important thing college lets them do: intellectually explore.

When I graduated from university, about 25 years ago, the entire price tag for my degree was around $50,000—a shade over the cost of one semester at BU these days. That was no small sum for my firmly middle-class family, even minus the scholarship money I was able to scrape together, but it also wasn’t a backbreaking expense.

So, while I felt appropriately motivated to find a major, get a degree, and graduate, I could also afford to look around a bit. I enrolled in electives in anthropology, astronomy, and urban planning, and I did so not because I wanted to secure a return on investment—they just sounded really interesting. And they were! I still remember what I learned about ethnographic methods, the Drake equation, and buffer zones, and I’m the better for it.

It turns out that my experience wasn’t out of the norm. As Robert Elliott and Valerie Paton point out, college curricula that encourage students to follow their interests trace their origins back to the elective system put in place in the late 19 th century by Harvard President Charles W. Eliot. Eliot’s reforms encouraged freedom of inquiry and liberated students from the rigid requirements of a common core, and, Elliott and Paton argue, their influence has persisted into the modern era. To wit, former Brown Dean Katherine Bergeron notes  (citing Derek Bok) that at the turn of the 20 th century, “curricula in more than one third of America’s colleges were at least 70 percent elective.”

For 19 th -century philosopher John Stuart Mill, this kind of free exploration was one of the most important purposes of higher education. He wrote that a “mind to which the fountains of knowledge have been opened, and which has been taught, in any tolerable degree, to exercise its faculties—finds sources of inexhaustible interest in all that surrounds it, in the objects of nature, the achievements of art, the imaginations of poetry, the incidents of history, the ways of mankind past and present.”

In other words, a college experience that allows students to engage in a wide-ranging pursuit of knowledge, liberated from economic pressures, turns the world into a buffet of intellectual pleasures. And it’s one that treats the student as something more than a cog in a giant capitalist machine.

But for Mill, the capacity to appreciate that buffet is “a very tender plant, easily killed, not only by hostile influences, but by mere want of sustenance.” In jacking up tuition costs, American universities are in the process of killing that tender plant. And the costs won’t be just economic. As prices rise, elite institutions risk turning themselves into high-priced vocational schools for the professional managerial class—and shunting students away from the most valuable part of college.